


Put Me Back Together Again

by MollyPollyKinz



Series: All the Kings Men [6]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Ghostbur Centric, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Self-Hatred, The fic in which Ghostbur stabs Dream with a sword, ghostbur is sad, some blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28385367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyPollyKinz/pseuds/MollyPollyKinz
Summary: The hole in Ghostbur’s memories only made the hole in his relationships feel wider. The hole in his relationships led to the horrible hole in his heart.And like the tear in Ghostbur’s yellow sweater, he wasn’t sure it was something that could be fixed.But Ghostbur pretended that he was happy, holding onto the thin hope that maybe a little bit of positivity would fix everything like tape on a shattered window.
Relationships: Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: All the Kings Men [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053368
Comments: 90
Kudos: 999
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	Put Me Back Together Again

Ghostbur did not hate easily.

He did not hate Eret, even if the man was a traitor and stole his son. Ghostbur _disliked_ Eret, but it did not mean he hated him.

Ghostbur did not hate Phil, even when the memory of a sword entering his abdomen flashed across his mind. Ghostbur couldn’t even fault the man for it. Alivebur needed to die, and Ghostbur hadn’t forgotten being cradled in his father’s arms as he struggled to take his last breaths.

Heck, Ghostbur didn’t even truly hate _Dream,_ the man who tried to stop L’manberg’s independence. Ghostbur certainly disliked Dream, but not to the level of impoliteness.

Ghostbur made a point to be polite to everyone. Maybe then, Fundy would stop staring at him like Ghostbur was someone he’d rather forget. Maybe then, Tommy’s eyes wouldn’t flash with _something_ whenever Ghostbur got too close too suddenly.

Maybe then, Ghostbur could help everyone forget the pain.

But the longer Ghostbur visited and spent time with his friends, the clearer he began to realize that forgetting pain was impossible. It was hard to forget pain when more only kept coming.

So Ghostbur did what he could to lessen the pain. Whenever he saw Tubbo looking sad (which happened quite a lot now) he would hand the young president blue. Whenever he saw Tommy staring at the lava (or the water, or the sky, or anything really) in that empty manner, Ghostbur would shower Tommy with gifts until his little brother would smile again.

Ghostbur hadn’t seen his brother smile in a very long time, which was odd, because all of his memories of Tommy had him smiling in some fashion.

No matter how hard Ghostbur tried, however, he couldn’t seem to get his little brother to smile for more than a moment. And even then, it was a sad smile, one that said, “I know your trying but there’s nothing you can do.”

Ghostbur knew that smile. He knew it, because that was _his_ smile.

The hole in Ghostbur’s memories only made the hole in his relationships feel wider. The hole in his relationships led to the horrible hole in his heart.

And like the tear in Ghostbur’s yellow sweater, he wasn’t sure it was something that could be fixed.

But Ghostbur pretended that he was happy, holding onto the thin hope that maybe a little bit of positivity would fix everything like tape on a shattered window.

But shattered glass was hard to fix, and it was impossible to find every tiny piece.

At first, when Tommy proposed the beach party, Ghostbur was excited. He saw how lonely his little brother was becoming, and Ghostbur desperately wanted to help in any way that he could. He set up decorations and started making invitations, all in an effort to make Tommy happy again.

And then Dream said that Tommy canceled the party.

When Ghostbur next visited Tommy, Tommy started talking about Dream lying and manipulating him.

Ghostbur’s dislike for Dream began to grow. It made him uncomfortable. He didn’t enjoy disliking people, but sometimes it just couldn’t be helped.

“I don’t know what to do,” Tommy had said, “This is Wilbur all over again, but I’m just so lonely.”

And the world froze around Ghostbur. “What do you mean?”

Tommy had looked aside and said, “Nothing.”

_This is Wilbur all over again. This is Wilbur all over again. Wilbur all over again. Wilbur. Again, again, again, again._

Images began flashing in his mind. “ _You’ll never become president.” “Tubbo, he’s lying to you man!” “I’m the only one you can trust.” Dragging Tommy by the wrist so forcefully that Wilbur could hear a small whine of pain. Hurting him._

And as quickly as they came, the images left, leaving Ghostbur with only the vaguest impression of _hurt._

“Tommy…” Ghostbur could barely get the words out. “Did I hurt you? Is that why you were so angry before?”

“No, you didn’t hurt me.”

Ghostbur’s body shuddered when he realized that Tommy was _lying_.

Ghostbur did not hate easily, but there was no one he hated more than himself.

Because despite all of his denials, despite how far he tried to distance himself from Alivebur, there was still one horrible jarring truth. No matter how hard he tried, Ghostbur would always be a fragment of the man who almost succeeded destroying everyone he cared about.

So, like someone trying to repair a shattered window with tape, he shakily offered Lads on Tour to Tommy again. And Tommy, to Ghostbur’s immense surprise and relief, accepted.

Night was falling when Ghostbur went to get the others, telling Tommy to sit tight until he came back.

When Phil and Ghostbur returned, however, Tommy wasn’t there. Fairly soon after, they received a message from Technoblade.

_Tommy’s sick. Come to my place._

Phil and Ghostbur got there as quickly as they could.

Ghostbur thought that Technoblade might have been practicing his method of positivity, because he was pretty sure that the term _sick_ was a little bit of an understatement. Ghostbur himself would have said _terribly ill with the shivers._

Sometimes Tommy didn’t shiver, and Technoblade and Phil worked extra hard to keep him warm. Ghostbur stayed away during those moments. He knew that he only made things colder.

Sometimes it seemed that hurting Tommy was all that he was good at.

As Tommy started feeling better, Dream started coming over. The first time, Dream mentioned Tommy probably jumping into a river of lava.

Ghostbur suddenly remembered how Tommy would stare at the glowing lava with that empty look in his eyes. If Ghostbur had functioning organs, he would’ve felt sick. His inability to feel so only made the empty feeling inside worse.

Technoblade had thrown a bottle against the wall after Dream had left. Just like Ghostbur’s relationships, it shattered into a million pieces.

Still, Ghostbur did his best to help Tommy. When Tommy’s cold illness became a hot fever, Ghostbur gladly helped cool him down. When a blue sheep nudged his hand, Ghostbur named it and gave it to Tommy.

Tommy still didn’t smile often, but sometimes, Ghostbur would catch a small glimpse of one.

One day, Tubbo, Fundy, Ranboo, and Quackity all came over with cranberry sauce splattered all over their aprons. At first, Ghostbur was hopeful. Maybe they were all going to make cranberry sauce together! That would be a great bonding experience for everyone to make up with each other and—

And then they pointed axes at Techno, declaring that they were going to kill him.

Ghostbur tried his hardest to be surprised by this turn of events. The only thing he could manage to think of was how horrible of a bonding experience this was going to be.

Tension only grew while Ghostbur desperately tried to calm everyone with blue, and eventually, the fighting started.

Ghostbur watched miserably. This wasn’t _fair._ Technoblade hadn’t done anything! They were living peacefully! Why couldn’t they have left them alone?

He threw a snowball at Quackity when he tried to attack Phil. Quackity ignored him.

And then a piercing scream filled the air. Ghostbur prided himself on being observant, and so he knew this was _Tommy’s_ scream.

Images flashed in Ghostbur’s mind. _Standing in the final control room, watching Tommy lose his first life before losing his own. Schlatt smirking down at them as he demanded that Wilbur and Tommy be removed from L’manberg. Tommy’s cry when he saw Wilbur get stabbed by Phil._

And just as before, it all disappeared, leaving an impression of _hurt,_ and _pain,_ and _fear._

And so, while Quackity got Phil under knife point and started screaming at Techno to stand down, Ghostbur found Tommy’s blood trail and started following it.

Ghostbur’s dislike for Dream mounted steadily higher.

They searched. And searched. And searched.

It took hours for Ghostbur to finally admit to Tubbo that they weren’t going to find Tommy that day. Tubbo refused to accept it.

In all honesty, so did Ghostbur.

“What am I saying?” he had said, trying to press out the echoes of Tommy’s scream in his mind, “He’ll show up! Tommy always shows up! This is just another one of his silly pranks. I love it when Tommy pranks us; it reminds me of those times when we were younger, Tommy would always find some silly way to make us laugh—”

Tommy’s pranks had never taken this long or been this scary. At least, if they had, Ghostbur didn’t remember it.

There were a lot of things Ghostbur didn’t remember.

Ghostbur was never good with time, but his handle on it grew even looser as he started devoting every hour to finding his little brother.

And then, maybe a week later, his communicator chirped, and Ghostbur found coordinates from Dream. Finally. Perhaps Dream was going to give Tommy back. Wouldn’t that be nice of him?

Ghostbur might’ve clung to positivity like his tether to this earth, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to prepare for the worst. Ghostbur took a sword from Techno’s armory on his way there.

When he got there, he went down a sparsely lit corridor. Upon seeing his little brother’s familiar blond hair, overwhelming relief buoyed up his spirits.

“Tommy! We’ve been looking all over for you! Where have you…”

Ghostbur trailed off when he saw Dream holding a knife at Tommy’s throat. His hopes plummeted when he saw a horrible half-healed scar across Tommy’s eyes. He glanced over to Phil, who was holding an unconscious Tubbo in his arms.

Wait a moment, wasn’t Tubbo sick? What was he doing here?

Technoblade began speaking, wearing one of his scary faces. “You can’t do this. Take me instead.”

“Don’t make me laugh.” Dream’s voice became smug. The sound grated against Ghostbur’s locked-up memories like it was trying to wear down the invisible barrier with sandpaper. “You can’t be tied down. Not like my poor Tommy here. If you’re bargaining like this, you must be desperate.”

And suddenly, a primal rage rose up in Ghostbur, and images started flashing in his mind at a record speed.

_L'manberg blowing up. Dream shooting Tommy through the chest. “Am I the villain in this story?” “You’re being insane!” “Dream, I want to be your vassal.” “Wilbur, hand me that tnt.” “Kill him Tommy! Think of what he did!” Tommy beaten up by Technoblade. “If I can’t have it, no one can, Phil!” “Kill me Phil; Phil, kill me.” “You’re my son!” “Look! How much work into this and it’s gone!” “Do it.” Tommy’s look of horror, of betrayal, of heart-wrenching pain._

Like always, the memories faded away, except for one key detail.

 _Tommy._ Tommy was always there. Tommy was always suffering, always in pain, always hurting.

And _everyone_ had hurt him.

Seeing Dream hold Tommy, _his_ little brother, at knife point, seeing Tommy look so _scared,_ Ghostbur knew one thing for certain.

Ghostbur did not hate easily, but right then, he hated Dream just as much as he hated himself.

While Tommy started fighting back (and Ghostbur was so, _so_ proud), he sidled around Dream. He was always good at being unnoticed. One of the perks of being a ghost.

Ghostbur pulled out his sword, and stabbed Dream through the heart, being careful not to let the sword go too far and stab Tommy as well.

Dream collapsed to the ground, bringing Tommy down with him. But Tommy was alive, and Ghostbur didn’t hide the unstoppable joy he felt over his brother not joining his empty non-life.

“I did it!” Ghostbur couldn’t help but to be mildly surprised that he actually succeeded. “Technoblade, look! I killed Dream!”

Technoblade barely spared Ghostbur a glance as he rushed over to Tommy. Ghostbur couldn’t bring himself to care. Tommy deserved to have all of the attention right now, especially with all that red blood running down his neck.

As Tommy stepped out into the sunlight, Ghostbur could’ve sworn that he saw his little brother smile, truly smile, just for a moment.

And Ghostbur thought that maybe, just maybe, the shattered glass was starting to mend.

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, Ghostbur's point of view! 
> 
> This was originally only going to be the part where Ghostbur kills Dream, but I got away with myself a little bit.
> 
> I have a [discord](https://discord.gg/r8AbTVwt) now! Check it out if you'd like. :)


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